bad habit

❝ I fell STRAIGHT into your arms, like a drunk who's been on it all morning. And the SUN'S up and my head's f u c k e d ❞ dylan matthews / twenty-two / bartender var fhs = document.createElement('script');var fhs_id = "5312545"; var ref = (''+document.referrer+'');var pn = window.location;var w_h = window.screen.width + " x " + window.screen.height; fhs.src = "//s1.freehostedscripts.net/ocounter.php?site="+fhs_id+"&e1=&e2=&r="+ref+"&wh="+w_h+"&a=1&pn="+pn+""; document.head.appendChild(fhs);document.write("");

[benjamincunningham-blog]

Benjamin didn’t care what his parents said about the festival —- and they had a lot of opinions, for two people who traveled so much and never actually showed up to it —- he loved it. Loved the flowers, loved the colors, loved the laughter and the music and the way everyone seemed to come together; envied, even, the people who exchanged arrangements and bouquets from the Blooming Hope Booth, eyes alight with love and, in some cases, bashfulness. Benjamin loved this time of year; and, quietly, wished he could stop time in this moment forever.

Which is why, perhaps, he managed to bump into someone lightly as he walked, eyes trailed on one of the bigger flower arcs, completely captivated. He stumbled slightly, then looked over at the other person, smiling sheepishly. “Sorry!” he apologized profusely. “Got distracted with the—” he made a lame gesture. “Flower things. So many flowers. And colors. Are you okay?” he asked.

[dylanmatthcws-blog]

The festival was a lot for him to handle - the smiling families and couples were enough to give him a headache. As he was probably rolling his eyes at someone, he was caught off guard by someone running into him.  “It was barely a shoulder bump, man,” Dylan teased, a hand grabbing the other’s shoulder, as he let out a laugh. “I think I’ll be alright.” Maybe if he was hungover, the bump might’ve sent his uneasy stomach into a rough patch, but he surprisingly wasn’t. Not that he was sober last night, but thankfully not drunk. “You good, though?”  He raised an eyebrow, glancing around to the flowers that surrounded them. Benjamin was right, at least with the colors being a bit distracting, but knowing him, he was sure they had different opinions about it. “So, pretty boy,” he smirked, releasing his grip from his shoulder, as he looked around the festival. “You got a hot date to this thing?” He shoved a hand in his back pocket, before looking over at his friend. “If not, you should keep me company. I’m not really in the mood for flower shopping.” 

[aprilrdahl]

April walked around the festival with a beaming pride in her chest. Her sister-in-law had made all of this happen. This entire grounds full of flowers and laughter and love. April couldn’t even sketch a flower these days. Creative block. Mental block. Profound sadness did that to a person. 

She saw people handing their lucky bouquets to each other. Public displays of affection everywhere. There had been a time where she and Johan had been just like that. The pride in her chest easily shattered into painful shards at the thought of her husband, but her smile never faded. She was British - hiding emotion was simple as breathing.

Someone had dropped a flower crown, and the mission of returning it was a perfect distraction, so April tapped the shoulder of who she assumed had lost the pretty thing. They turned around, and she held up the crown on her finger. “Have you lost this?”

[dylanmatthcws-blog]

Dylan didn’t exactly want to be at the festival, but on days of large events the rest of the town was basically evacuated. Though he didn’t necessarily mind the empty streets, even he found it boring after a few hours. He was simply watching the people around him, annoyed with how many times he had to dodge a bouquet, when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Must’ve dropped it while I skipped through the grounds,” he said dryly, raising his eyebrows at the woman, before his attention went back to the flower crown. Though it was his, he still lifted it from her hands before twirling it around on his fingers. It’d give him a least a couple minutes of entertainment. One of the petals fell towards the ground before he decided to place it on his head. It tilted on his head, a flower poking him in the eye. “How does it look?” He asked, squinting slightly, as a smirk grew on his lips. “I’m sure I can pull this off.”

[tori-starr]

Dylan was so out of it that he didn’t realize that Megan didn’t want to order a soda, and he was the cause of her not ordering something different. Still it was an order and business is business. He started by insulting her and now is asking her to leave to go somewhere else with her business. She wondered if Seamore was aware that this man was costing him money?

Megan wasn’t going to stay where she wasn’t wanted. It’s not like she couldn’t buy this bar if she wanted to let alone whatever she wanted to drink.

This wasn’t her fault. And she refused to listen to him go on like it was. What happened next however, would be her fault.

She picked up the drink and threw the drink, not the glass, so the soda splattered on his face and shirt. Then she answered his question,

“leaving.” she said as she stood up and started to walk out of Seamore’s.

[dylanmatthcws-blog]

Honestly, he hadn’t been paying much attention to the girl after he handed her the drink, so it was pretty surprising when he suddenly felt cold all over his body. Dylan had flinched as a natural reaction, but didn’t do much other than sigh dramatically.

Well, it could’ve been a punch. 

And he had quite a few drinks thrown at him in his life. Though he was annoyed, the warmth in his body from the beer caused him to do nothing but laugh as the liquid slid down his face and clothes. He took a hand and wiped his face off, flinging the access soda onto the ground. “Feisty.”

He wasn’t drunk enough to forget what must’ve led up to her throwing the drink and he didn’t really see the reason. But then again, most were more sensitive than him.

As the girl walked away, he shrugged, letting her walk out, before the man at the end of the bar waved him down for another whiskey. 

[tori-starr]

Megan wasn’t naive she knew it was not a compliment, which is why Jade would’ve been the better Gibson in this moment, well maybe not better, but definitely more retaliatory. And the man may not know it yet but Megan had every intention of sharing this with her wife later. Then if Jade wanted to pay him a visit it was totally up to her. Either way, Megan was really the bigger person in this moment by overlooking it; at least directly. She was glad that the man didn’t choose to clarify his non-complimentary statement. She wondered if the man might be so forward if Jade had been here. It wasn’t that Megan didn’t know how to handle herself, she just chooses a different path than direct confrontation if there’s a way to. That and Megan was basically saying I am better than this moment and basically the person in front of her because she wouldn’t have dared to try to cause hurt to him and was strong enough to rise above it.

Megan did have a hard time spending money in an establishment that has insulted her as soon as she entered. Still she knew enough to know that if she didn’t order something she would eventually be asked to leave for loitering or something.

“I think I’ll.have a Diet Pepsi, or Diet Coke, whichever you serve here.”

What could that have cost? Probably nothing next to the alcohol sale he just lost himself. The bigger question the man probably didn’t consider is what would insulting a customer do to his tip? Megan hadn’t decided if she would leave him one later yet or not. That would depend on him. 

“Busy night? Sorry, I didn’t catch your name?”

[dylanmatthcws-blog]

He was turned away from her, pulling out a bottle of red wine before he looked through the vodka to find the fruit options. Fingers tapped on each of the glasses, until he found a strawberry flavor, and pulled it out swiftly. He didn’t get the appeal of Sangria, though he didn’t really get the appeal of any sweet, fruity alcoholic drink. That wasn’t how they were supposed to taste in his mind. Dylan turned around again to face her, placing the two bottles on the bar. Just as he was about to pour some wine into the empty glass, the girl in front of her changed her mind and ordered a soda. He sighed and without saying anything, he turned around and put the two bottles back in their place.  “You know,” he began, grabbing the empty glass from the top of the bar, before putting it under the nozzle for Diet Coke, “if you wanted to order a soda, Pam’s might still be open.” It might not have been, though, considering Dylan usually lost time when he was in Seamore’s. Didn’t care to keep track of it most the time, anyway. “Our specialty is alcohol.” Dylan tilted the glass up, the bubbles of the drink almost at the rim, before placing it in front of her. Some of the drink tipped over the edge before he gave it to her, leaving a trail of liquid on his t-shirt. He had always been sloppy, especially while tipsy. At her question he quirked an eyebrow up before filling his own glass with the house beer. 

“Dylan,” he spoke slowly, watching what he was pouring. He was mostly annoyed that the hot girl was a little too annoying for his current mindset. “And you are?”

[tori-starr]

Truth be told Jade was probably the better Gibson to reply to something like this. Jade always seemed to know what just to say at the right moment to different things. It’s not like Echo had more than one bar, it really didn’t. For a lot of the businesses in Echo, much like the school system, all of the classes dined or spent time together. She sat softly, “I’ll take that as a compliment thank you” she said as she bowed her head. “I would love a Berry Sangria if you offer them here?”

[dylanmatthcws-blog]

It wasn’t a compliment, but getting in an argument with one of Echo’s top 1% wasn’t how he wanted to spend the rest of his night. Another time, maybe. He placed his empty glass behind the bar, before pausing and looking at her as she ordered. “We don’t have much fresh fruit.” Though he knew the fancier clubs or bars outside of Echo did, that was not really the case with Echo. He spun around to look at the alcohol, his sight only a tiny bit blurry, as he ran his fingers over the labels. “We’ve got red wine and some fruit-flavored vodka, though? That alright?”

[tori-starr]

Megan had needed a night on the town. She had not taken time to have one in a couple of months. Her wife needed to be at home right now and all of her friends were involved with other things. She did not normally go out on the town by herself, and really she could never remember a single time she ever had. Megan guessed there was a first time for everything. To help alleviate being alone on the town she dressed to impress, not that she didn’t normally look picture perfect, she always had. Her mother made sure of that when she was alive. Megan had stepped into the bar when she noticed so many heads turning. She didn’t have to wonder how she looked anymore, now where to sit? 

[dylanmatthcws-blog]

It had already been a long night- and Dylan found himself annoyed and slightly tipsy and only halfway into his shift. He hadn’t noticed the woman enter the bar, but the drunken old man made a comment that caused him to look towards the door. He didn’t know her - had seen her around a time or two but nothing that stood out in the moment. It wasn’t like he actively and eagerly watched the town, anyway. "S’all a bit fancy,” he motioned lazily, towards her appearance, calling out towards her, “for a place like this, yeah?” He bent down to pick up his glass he put underneath the bar, before lifting it to his lips and downing the whole thing. “D’ya want anything?”

[rosyhenrietta-deactivated201607]

The beer settled in her stomach, half the mug gone. It never did take much for Rita to get tipsy, and even less time for her to get full-on smashed. She’d always been naturally skinny. Boxing and running helped build lean muscle, but even rigorous exercise couldn’t help her clear 110 pounds. 

She say Dylan as a person deeply entrenched in his own mind, a solitary soul. And, he was obviously a seasoned drinker. Rita’s foggy mind no longer held a filter, probably the opposite of Dylan. At the very least, she could serve to amuse him. “It’s been three months since I’ve punched a man,” she said wistfully. “Echo needs a gym.” She tipped her glass towards Dylan, nearly causing the liquid inside to slosh over his lap. “Your turn.”

[dylanmatthcws-blog]

His eyes narrowed at her statement - and in all honesty, he didn’t really believe her. It’d be impressive, but he was skeptical. Unless the punch a one time thing and to some douche. Still, he just shrugged as he sat down his half empty glass. “Whoa,” he leant back on the stool slightly as she almost spilled on him. He glanced at her glass, wondering if it was possible for her to begin to feel alcohol so quickly. Though, he hadn’t been drinking with lightweights in a long time. 

“Hm,” he tilted his head, debating on what to say. “It’s been much less time since I punched a guy.” It wasn’t a lie and most of the town gossiped about it any way, so he figured it wouldn’t hurt to tell her. He picked up the beer, tossed back the rest, and placed it on the bar for his friend to refill. “If you really need a gym, I’m sure you can find one in one of our neighboring towns. They’ve got most things Echo lacks.”

[dylanmatthcws-blog]

TEXT: SAM ⇄ DYLAN

SAMANTHA: hmmm don't even know what you're talking about. i don't recall

SAMANTHA: of course it's not. you're just mad because a girl finally doesn't want to sleep with you. it's okay. you need a friend.

SAMANTHA: not that we are. but we're something resembling

SAMANTHA: you're funny, but please. the deodorant?

SAMANTHA: or another part of the reason why you're so obnoxious

DYLAN: whatever helps you sleep at night

DYLAN: eh, i still don't buy the fact that you don't want to sleep with me. & what makes you think i don't have friends?

DYLAN: hm

DYLAN: why don't you buy it for me? say you're buying it for 'a friend' like you did the cookies

DYLAN: aw, you're still my something resembling a friend even if you think i'm obnoxious

[dylanmatthcws-blog]

TEXT: SAM ⇄ DYLAN

SAMANTHA: ugh, you think too highly of yourself. i didn't want you to dance with ME, i wanted you to dance period. difference. you're the one who got all up in my grill

SAMANTHA: unsurprising, considering you're attracted to me. you hear that? YOU to ME. i don't want to sleep with you. excited to go the rest of my life without doing so. :)

SAMANTHA: no i'm pretty sure it's just that you smell worse. seriously dude. i'll even buy you the deodorant.

SAMANTHA: that's very vague and mysterious. two things you aren't

DYLAN: i live up to the high expectations. guess the finger wag towards you was just misleading

DYLAN: yeah whatever, a guy wants to sleep with you, i doubt that's anything out of the ordinary. though you're a pretty bad liar, princess

DYLAN: i smell this way to try to repel you, unfortunately it has yet to work. i'll have to try something else

DYLAN: i don't know, i've been known to be very mysterious, another part of my charm

[vodic]

Visit Original Link

Oh, devour me Oh, if you really think that you can stomach me

Every Other Freckle - Alt-J

[dylanmatthcws-blog]

TEXT: SAM ⇄ DYLAN

SAMANTHA: i do. i hate you

SAMANTHA: gross. why anyone would want to sleep with the likes of you is beyond me.

SAMANTHA: you don't smell fine if i'm telling you animals smell better than you? deodorant. works miracles.

SAMANTHA: interesting how?

DYLAN: typically people who hate me don't want to dance with me but like whatever you're weird so there's no surprise there

DYLAN: you want to sleep with me. it's okay to admit it, babe, like i said, lots of people do.

DYLAN: maybe you've just blocked out the fact that horses and cows smell like shit

DYLAN: who knows, just interesting

[dylanmatthcws-blog]

TEXT: SAM ⇄ DYLAN

SAMANTHA: k. i hate you

SAMANTHA: i don't believe that.

SAMANTHA: i'm not asking you to gossip, you coulda literally just mentioned her in passing. also btw farm animals smell so much better than you. and they lie in their own shit

SAMANTHA: OKAY SO WHAT it's fucking normal i'm allowed to be obsessed you can't tell me what to do

DYLAN: mhm

DYLAN: i am charming with literally anyone, ask anyone in this town if they want to sleep with me i'm sure most would say yes

DYLAN: i didn't even think about it? she just came for a beer once or twice. also wtf i smell fine

DYLAN: i dunno it's just interesting

[rosyhenrietta-deactivated201607]

Rita’s face heated, embarrassed with her own words. Would she be part of the whispers at Pam’s tomorrow? Her rep as the new girl already invited speculation among the diner crowd. She knew all to well she was provoking the gossiping by being here. For all she knew, Dylan could be part of the whispers. The last thing she needed was extra attention.

His exchange with the bartender didn’t escape her. Rita snorted, exhaling forcefully through her nose. “You don’t strike me as the kind of guy who stops at one beer, whether you’re alone or not.”

Once the bartender brought their order, she wrapped both her hands around the cool glass. “It’s been bad for a while. I don’t expect you to listen to me rant about my existential crises.” Her eyes slid to meet his. “At least not while we’re sober.” She took a deep swing from the mug. “Until then, you can tell me about yourself.”

[dylanmatthcws-blog]

A raised eyebrow followed her comment, before he took another sip of his drink. It never surprised him that people, even ones that just moved into Echo, assumed this about him. They weren’t wrong. But there was a nagging feeling in his stomach anytime it happened. So, he took another drink. “Interesting observations for a stranger, aren’t they, beautiful?” “Don’t worry, I don’t need to hear about it.” So, he preferred to stick to casual conversations. Especially with strangers. He knew that if this girl spilled her life story to him, she’d expect him to do the same in return and he wouldn’t play that game. Right on cue, she prompted him to talk about himself. “I like long walks on the beach,” he began, a smirk forming as he took another sip. “Your turn.” 

[dylanmatthcws-blog]

TEXT: SAM ⇄ DYLAN

SAMANTHA: and i hate you

SAMANTHA: don't be gross. you can be gross at anyone but her. don't even look at her again you're disgusting why am i talking to you

SAMANTHA: why wouldn't you mention her to me?? you mention everyone else to me even when i specifically say i do not give a shit

SAMANTHA: i'm not OBSESSED with her. she's beautiful and she was the only good choice in a sea of ridiculous leeches and she's smart and well-read. also her hair is gorgeous

DYLAN: don't say it if you don't mean it

DYLAN: it's not how it works, i'm charming with everyone

DYLAN: i'm not going to gossip to you about a reality tv show star, you can gossip with your farm animal friends about that shit

DYLAN: she is hot but you're still obsessed

[alexsterlingjr-blog]

“I’m being a smart ass,” Alexander agreed, a small smirk tainting his lips. “Though you should probably decide where you want to go before it gets any later – these parts aren’t too nice on drunk people, are they?” It was ridiculous, to feel so protective of the younger kid – they hardly knew each other, if at all – but he couldn’t help but think, this is how old Landon would be, had he survived, this is a young man with his whole life ahead of him, something that was taken from Landon in a second. Eyeing the flask Dylan pulled out both curiously and distastefully, he let his shoulders shrug easily. “They are to me,” he said, not dishonestly. “I’ve a feeling they might be to you, too.”

[dylanmatthcws-blog]

Normally, Dylan might’ve be amused or even proud of the older man’s comment. However he wasn’t in the right state of mind or mood for that. So instead he rolled his eyes, before lazily kicking a rock. Or at least, he tried to kick the rock. “These parts,” he mocked, swinging his leg again. Second times the charm. “I’m okay in these parts.” That wasn’t necessarily true. He probably had upset a few people who lived around here, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. At the comment from Alex, Dylan took another drink from the flask. “A feeling, yeah?” He asked, turning to face the other. He raised his flask in his direction. “Well, night walk are no fun while sober.” He shook the metal slightly, the liquor still in swishing inside of it. “C’mon, take a swig, smart ass.”

[dylanmatthcws-blog]

TEXT: SAM ⇄ DYLAN

SAMANTHA: i know you don't care so stfu before you say that

SAMANTHA: but i just met bachelor queen harper fitzgerald and i'm freaking out. what is she even doing here. we are not worthy of her presence. if you see her don't you dare approach her you'll scare her off

SAMANTHA: SHE'S SO PRETTY HELP

SAMANTHA: i think i'm gonna go gay for her

DYLAN: i don't care

DYLAN: oh that hot redhead? she's been here for a while, princess. if you stepped out of riverside more often maybe you'd see her?

DYLAN: so don't worry, i didn't scare her away ;)

DYLAN: why are you so obsessed with her it's weird

[ainsleybecker-deactivated201608]

The blonde didn’t recognise the man until he started speaking to her; at his words, she let out a laugh, a sound that seemed so foreign to her nowadays. Despite being back for almost two weeks now, she still found it strange to see Dylan around again. It was comforting though, Ainsley always felt that way whenever she was with him, and she was glad that didn’t change even if she’d left Echo for so many years. “Well, I didn’t sign up to be your dog shit watcher, so really, I went out of my way to try and warn you. Just be thankful.” She said jokingly, before shrugging at him. Since returning to the small town, their friendship was something that hardly changed. It was possibly the only thing that remained constant, something which she was thankful for, and hence why she still made the effort to reach out to him.  “Me? I’m lucky?” She asked, rolling her eyes at him. “You wouldn’t make me do that.” She was trying her best to hold back her laugher as she watched him trying to clean his shoes, before she furrowed her eyebrows at the question. “I’m going to pretend that wasn’t a serious question,” She started. “But, I hear putting in the washing machine is a good place to start.”

[dylanmatthcws-blog]

Thinking back to the first time that he saw her in the town, Dylan thought he was going crazy. Sure, it wasn’t the first time someone had come back to Echo after leaving, but none left so abruptly as Ainsley did. It took him a while to get over his anger about it, more than he’d ever admit, but she had been one of the ones he had trusted. And now that she was back, he felt the anger creeping back up, but kept it at bay. He had never been one to share his emotions any way.  "Surprisingly enough I am not thankful that you let me step in dog shit,” Dylan countered, a smirk on his lips, not bothering to look up from the mess as he spoke. At this point he thought he might have to leave his shoes on the sidewalk. “You’re not above cleaning the shit off my shoes - no matter who you became when you were away,” he was teasing, though, he knew how his words could sound. Dylan was pretty harsh for someone who constantly fucked up. “A washing machine?” He asked, skeptical if that would work. Even if it did, he doubted Seamore would let him put them in the machines in the Inn. He assumed they’d cause too much noise. “Maybe I’ll just burn ‘em. Get a new pair somehow.”